[Review] The Volkswagen Touran

During the Mother’s Day weekend, as an ambassador of Rise & Shine, I was invited for a test drive of the Volkswagen (VW) Touran Comfort 1.4 TSI at the MacPherson showroom.

Photo: Rise & Shine

The event was quite well-organised with many families visiting both the showrooms at Alexandra & MacPherson.  Moms, Dads & their children were treated to quick bites of mini burgers, baked potatoes & ice-cream.  The children got to enjoy themselves with food art, golf, colouring, etc. while the moms & dads tested out VW’s fleet of cars.  You can see more pictures of the event here & here.

Photo: Rise & Shine

When it comes to the interior of a car, I am not so particular as long as it is comfortable for the family. What I would expect of an MPV such as separate retractable 3^rd row seats to accommodate large items at the back, plenty of reasonably-sized storage pockets, sufficient leg room in the 1^st & 2^nd row seats, etc., the  VW Touran has them all.

 Photos: Volkswagen

Photos: Volkswagen

The 17” Oakland Alloy Wheels, the Slimmer Headlights that give the Touran a more streamlined look, the Grey-tinted Rear & Side Windows, & the Panoramic Sunroof certainly add to enhancing the aesthetics of VW Touran.

Photos: Volkswagen 

However, the safety aspects of the car are what I like most.  As a mom, I rank safety of the car above all.  While airbags are a must for all cars that I am considering, the VW Touran Comfort 1.4 TSI did impress me with some of its safety features:

(1) ‘Rear Assist’ Reversing Camera which allows me to view the rear space of the car when I do reversing.  It is extremely helpful in tight parallel parking situations & when doing reverse parking into your driveway;

(2) Automatic Dimming Interior Rear View Mirror that automatically dims out annoying high beam headlights from behind;

(3) Rain Sensor that detects rain droplets & turns on the wipers automatically

(4) Automatic Headlight Activation so that I do not even need to meddle with the lights when I go into a multi-storey carpark.

Much to my surprise, this beauty comes with only 1400cc engine.  Thanks to its TSI EcoFuel engine that allows high performance with low consumption.  The car can carry a family of 4 to 5 pretty comfortably, yet it is economical in terms of fuel consumption, road tax & Certification of Entitlement (COE).  The dual clutch gearbox DSG enables changing of gears smoothly without interruption of power flow.  This is what I appreciate most in an automatic gearbox because I would not feel the pull-back when the next gear is engaged while cruising.

                                                

Overall, the VW Touran Comfort 1.4 TSI is quite a darling for a young family.  With its price tag of less than $150,000 & the features it offers, I must agree that it is a very attractive compact MPV.

* This is a sponsored review. All opinions & text are my own.